Operation Jackal IV – Interpol’s latest cross‑border raid – resulted in the arrest of 58 individuals tied to organised West African cyber‑crime groups. The operation, conducted from November 2025 to June 2026, spanned 22 countries across six continents and identified 263 additional suspects.
The primary targets were romance and investment scams orchestrated by the infamous Nigerian Black Axe network, which is believed to account for a significant share of global cyber‑fraud. In addition to financial hacking, the operation exposed how the syndicates use sextortion to exploit minors as young as 14 years old.
Key outcomes:
- 58 arrests and 263 suspects identified across 22 nations.
- Seizure of $2.67 million and blockade of 257 bank accounts in South Africa.
- 38 agents from Interpol assisted local police in 15 raid sites worldwide.
- Preliminary investigations into cryptocurrency laundering and email‑compromise schemes.
“By following illicit financial flows across borders, we are attacking the very lifeblood of organised crime,” said Tomonobu Kaya, director of Interpol’s financial crime centre.
Context: Operation Jackal IV is part of a series of ‘Jackal’ raids launched since 2022, with Jackal III in 2024 already leading to 300 arrests linked to Black Axe.
Source: BBC News Africa
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